Statement by Ahunna Eziakonwa
Assistant Secretary General and UNDP Regional Director for Africa
IPI Global Leader Series featuring H.E. Gbehzohngar M. Findley, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Liberia
 International Peace Institute, New Yorrk
Wednesday, 26 September 2018

[As prepared for delivery]

Your Excellency, Mr. H. E. Gbehzohngar M. Findley, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Liberia

Your Excellency, Ambassador Olof Skoog, Chair of the Liberia Configuration of the UN Peacebuilding Commission and Permanent Representative of Sweden to the UN,

Your Excellency, Ambassador Terje Rød-Larsen, President, the International Peace Institute,

Your Excellencies, distinguished guests from the Diplomatic missions,

Colleagues from the United Nations,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a distinct honor and pleasure for me to address you at this Global Leader Series.  We are privileged to welcome the President of the Republic of Liberia, His Excellency, Mr. George Manneh Weah. It is also an honor for us to partner with the International Peace Institute in staging this event.

Today, we recognize Liberia’s impressive progress in achieving a democratic transition of power following the 2017 elections which was the first peaceful transfer of power from one democratically-elected president to another since 1944.

Through this, the people of Liberia have taken a decisive step in consolidating and sustaining peace and convincingly demonstrating their readiness to craft a path for sustainable development. Also, with the closing of the UNMIL peacekeeping mission in March 2018, Liberia successfully marked a transition from a peace-keeping to a post-conflict context. Recognizing that Liberia’s future depends on sustaining the peace, our sustainable development support going forward must focus on activities that secure, uphold and protect the peace. As you may be aware, there have been too many examples of reversals that threaten peace and development during critical moments such as the one Liberia is now going through. We should not ignore the inherent risks.

Your Excellency, we welcome the steps taken by your Government in formulating a new medium-term Development Plan: The Pro-Poor Agenda for Prosperity and Development (PAPD). I have noted carefully your request for partners’ support and am pleased that UNDP has made available direct technical and advisory support in the ongoing formulation of the PAPD.  

The Agenda offers an excellent opportunity to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals through its emphasis on education, health, gender equality, poverty reduction and food security. The focus on pro-poor growth and job creation reinforces its overarching theme of inclusiveness. We are particularly encouraged that the pillar on sustaining the peace directly addresses the key priorities of the Liberia Peacebuilding Plan which seeks to invest in durable solutions for advancing peace and reconciliation efforts at all levels in Liberia.  Your Excellency, we are also very pleased to learn of your signing into law, last week, both the Local Government and Land Rights Acts, a promise fulfilled under the Peacebuilding Plan, seeking to bring about effective local governance and land administration systems in your Country.

It is common knowledge that Liberia is well-endowed with natural resources. If properly leveraged, these resources can be a means to meet the aspirations of Liberians, particularly the youth who have high expectations and are eager to see early dividends from the new administration. Their voices and their needs must be prioritized in the PAPD since Liberia’s future stability rests on harnessing the capacities and assets of its youth to realize a sustained livelihood and meaningful transition into productive lives.

While we acknowledge Liberia’s impressive achievements, we need to recognize the inherent and enduring challenges. The country faces significant economic constraints brought about by the global slump in commodity prices, limited fiscal space, and the slow recovery from the Ebola crisis.  These difficulties are compounded by the continuing need for national reconciliation, the advancement of human rights, and expanding the rule of law and good governance.

Your Excellency, we do not expect your government to meet these challenges alone. It will rely on the support of all international partners making this a shared responsibility I would like in this regard to pay tribute to the Liberia Peacebuilding Configuration, through Ambassador Skoog, for the continued support to the Government of Liberia and the United Nations during the crucial transition period and beyond it.  

With the departure of UNMIL in Liberia, we now have an expanding role of the Resident Coordinator harnessing the full potential of the UN Country Team in not only ensuring the continuing presence of the UN in Liberia, but in availing the needed collective resources, expertise and assets to assist Liberia achieve the SDGs. In this regard, the establishment of the Liberia Multi-Partner Trust Fund offers a unique vehicle to mobilize support and to ensure a coherent and coordinated approach to sustaining the peace.

Your Excellency, I wish to reaffirm the UN’s and UNDP’s continued support in designing the pro-poor agenda, implementing your Government’s vision, achieving the SDGs, consolidating peace, and promoting inclusive development for all the people of Liberia.

I thank you.